1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of equipment supports intended to be worn on the body of the user, and more particularly to a novel fully articulated equipment support adapted to be carried on the user's torso whereby the equipment may be supported readily positionable between desired locations in front of the user while the equipment is being operated.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, it has been the conventional practice for equipment operators, such as cameramen who support and hold hand-held cameras, recorders or the like, to operate the equipment simultaneously with manual support of the equipment. This, of course, is somewhat awkward and requires considerable dexterity on the part of the operator or cameraman and further requires additional concentration which detracts from the main objective of operating the equipment. Furthermore, the weight of modern cameras, sound recording equipment and the like, further taxes the energies and concentration of the equipment operator.
Some attempts have been made to provide a strap arrangement for supporting the equipment on the body of the user; however, problems and difficulties have been encountered with such prior conventional straps which stem largely from the fact that attachment of the equipment to be operated onto the strap is awkward and is not always in a proper location for operation by the camera man or operator. Also, even though the equipment is supported on a conventional strap, the operator must use both hands to either support the equipment or at least one hand to support the equipment while the other hand is operating the controls for the equipment. Conventional supports for such hand-held equipment are awkward and it is difficult for the operator to simultaneously support and operate the equipment due to weight, geometry of the equipment housing, etc.
Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide a portable equipment support which can be carried on the torso of the user and which is fully articulated so that the equipment can be positioned and re-positioned conveniently at the discretion of the user. The support should include pivot or rotating means for moving components of the device into various orientations while the equipment is being operated or wherein the user can set the equipment in pre-selected locations for fixed operation of the equipment.